Newcastle striker Demba Ba has advised the club's supporters to ignore reports of his imminent exit from St James' Park.

Rumours of a buy-out clause in the Senegal international's contract have led to speculation he will be off to Manchester United or Tottenham before the end of the month.

But speaking from Newcastle's pre-season tour of Germany, where they were beaten 1-0 by Chemnitz on Friday, Ba told the Evening Chronicle: "What can I say?

"The fans see me on the pitch in a Newcastle shirt - that's my message to them. In the papers there's been a lot of rubbish!

"Like I said on Twitter, it's just rumours. People talk, but what I can say is that none of the teams that have been talked about have approached me. I'm still a Newcastle United player.

"Life is brilliant - I always have a smile on my face. That's how I am. Football is my job, but it's also a lot of fun for me. If it wasn't, I wouldn't do it. I enjoy putting on a black and white shirt."

Ba has made a big impact on Tyneside since joining on a free transfer from West Ham, marking one of last summer's most shrewd signings.

The striker scored 16 Premier League goals for the Magpies but only three of those came in the second half of the campaign, with the 27-year-old having not netted for his club since February.